I'm in the process of changing ball joints, and am now reassembling everything. I put the tie rods back onto the steering knuckle, and tightened the nuts down to the required torque specs. I went to put a new cotter pin in, and the cotter pin hole is even with the top of the nut! When I took things apart, the cotter pin hole was matched up with the grooves in the nut. Think my tie rod ends are bad?? Or is it ok like this?

BTW anyone know how much tie rod ends are off hand?

Thanks

 

If your changing out your ball joints then your tie rods surely need it...about 35 each for Moog....35X4=eecckk...don't forget the pitman arm

 

Change the tie rod ends. My 97 Expy had no signs of a bad tie rod end (looseness or clunking) until one of them fell apart in the lot at work. The tie rod ends on these Fords are 3 piece. The outer housing, the inner ball/stud then a flimsey tin type of liner. Since they are not greaseable from the factory that thin ( a few thousandths thick) tin liner wears away then the ball/stud can just fall out of the housing.
The Moog Problem Solver tie rod ends were $33.00 each at Car Quest but they have the same design except they are greaseable.